The event comes after reports that the Justice Department was preparing to seek his indictment for causing the deaths of four Miami-based Brothers to the Rescue volunteers in 1996 at sea. <\/p>\n
Andy Gomez, the former director of the University of Miami\u2019s Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies, said the Trump administration\u2019s choice of the Freedom Tower was a symbolic gesture. <\/p>\n
\u201cSources in Washington tell me that he will be indicted tomorrow,\u201d Gomez said on Tuesday. He added, \u201cIt\u2019s a symbolism that is taking place to give the Cuban American community, if you will, what we have been asking for, for 20 years. Is that going to be enough? I don\u2019t think so.\u201d<\/p>\n
Castro, now 94, and his brother, Fidel Castro, were accused of ordering the Cuban Air Force shootdown of two Brothers to the Rescue Cessna 337 Skymasters that had departed from the Opa Locka Executive Airport at about 3:20 p.m. on Feb. 24, 1996.<\/p>\n
Carlos Costa and Pablo Morales were in the Cessna 337C. Mario De La Pe\u00f1a and Armando Alejandre were in the Cessna 337B. Both planes were registered in the U.S., records show.<\/p>\n
Air-to-air missiles fired from Cuban Air Force MiG-29 fighter jets hit both planes \u2014 killing Alejandre, 45; Costa, 29; and De la Pe\u00f1a, 24, who were U.S. citizens; and Morales, 29, a U.S. resident, records showed. <\/p>\n
\u201cBoth Cessna aircraft broke up in the air from the explosions of the missiles, the wreckage impacted the sea and sank,\u201d according to the International Civil Aviation Organization\u2019s report.<\/p>\n
Fidel Castro died on Nov. 25, 2016. He was 90. <\/p>\n
U.S.-CUBA TENSIONS<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/LF5ICMEPFV73BBQBOPHPVIRZZM.jpg\")
Cuba Daily Life A pedestrian looks for items to salvage in a pile of trash on a street in Havana, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo\/Ramon Espinosa) (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All right reserved) (Ramon Espinosa\/AP) <\/p>\n
The U.S. cut Venezuela\u2019s oil supply to Cuba after capturing Nicol\u00e1s Maduro and threatened to impose tariffs on countries that provided oil to Cuba. There was an exception in March for a Russian ship. <\/p>\n
The fuel shortage has prompted power outages and transportation problems. The domino effect moved to water and garbage service disruptions, shortages of food and medicines, and unemployment. This has also impacted the education and healthcare systems. <\/p>\n
President Donald Trump and Cuban President Miguel D\u00edaz-Canel both confirmed there were ongoing U.S.-Cuba diplomatic talks. <\/p>\n
In January, Trump called for the Cuban government \u201cto make a deal BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.\u201d In February, Trump said a \u201cfriendly takeover<\/a> of Cuba\u201d was possible. On Tuesday, Trump said he was still hoping for a deal. <\/p>\n